Happy New Year!

This blog is a result of failing to get our Christmas cards and letters in the mail this year. We were traveling much of December and I got the envelopes addressed and went off and left them at home while we were CA for Christmas. I thought I would complete a New Year's letter upon our arrival home but failed to complete that task as well. So in an effort to bring you up to date with the Pancake family (and wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year) I thought I would start a blog so here we go...

Our 2007 New Year's letter-

Our dear friends and family,

Wishing you a Happy New Year from a cold (and yes, wet) Oregon. I had every intention of getting our cards out before Christmas this year, however, we boarded a plane to Orange County for Christmas and they remained in a duffel bag on the couch (which mistakenly didn’t make the trip either). So here I sit now writing our New Year’s letter which will be inserted into our new Pancakehouse blog. Oh well, better late than never I guess.

In January Emily turned a year old and we headed to CA to celebrate her first birthday with friends and family in Orange County. It’s hard to believe that we are quickly approaching her second birthday. The time goes by so quickly.

February was a quiet month as we stayed home and enjoyed our winter snow. Ashley came to visit for President’s Day weekend and got snowed in, thus having to extend her visit by a couple of days. God also blessed us with a new church family at Faith Free Evangelical Church in Dallas, OR. which is about 15 minutes from our house. After searching for nearly two years for a church home, we were very happy to be welcomed so warmly into a church family.

Bill surprised me for my birthday by flying my mom up to spend the weekend with us in March. It was the best birthday present ever. Timing was great as I was really missing her and loved having her here.

We welcomed Maya Renae Vasquez into the family on April 12^th which meant another trip to Orange County for me and Emily. Nana had the privilege of looking after four grand kids (all at the same time) while I got to be in the delivery room with my sister for Maya’s birth.

Emily and I headed back down to Orange County at the end of April for a short visit before a big trip back East. During the first part of May we, along with my mom, dad, and Ashley, headed back to Washington DC, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. We took Ash in place of her school’s trip and toured the area in a mini van. Other than constantly getting lost we had a fantastic time.

Ash’s eighth grade graduation took us back down to Orange County in June (I know what you are thinking… why we don’t just move back… No way! ). She finished her Jr. High years at Creekside Christian School in Orange and we all boarded a plane back to Portland. Until the day before we left, Ash was going to be with us for the summer, however on Father’s Day my sister told Ashley that she could remain with us for the school year as well. We were elated!

July was a bit discouraging for us as Bill found out that he had lost his job with Partnerships in Community Living. The news was unexpected and therefore hit us hard. He began the task of looking for new job. Ash spent some time in CA for her 14th birthday and Emily and I stayed around here.

August took us to Seattle for a first ever, Spina Bifida mini conference with members of the Evergreen Chapter (Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska). It was a wonderful opportunity for us to meet other families who are touched by Spina Bifida. It gave us the chance to ask questions, provide a listening ear and obtain feedback. Shortly after we returned from the conference Bill took on the role of Vice President of the Evergreen Chapter. Having him on the board has given Oregon a voice where there wasn't one prior to his leadership. We are excited about the future of a group in our state as currently there is very little support for families and individuals living with Spina Bifida.

West Salem High School here she comes! September was the start of high school for our precious niece. It has been an eye opening experience for her as she transitioned from small private schools to a large public school. Ash is participating in Choir and in Drama and hopes to eventually make a career out of her musical talents. She has done well at West but still isn't quite sure that she cares much for public school life.

I also kicked off my Work At Home Mom business making and selling handbags in September. Simply Satchels got off to a grand start. I took orders from women online and locally. My handbag business quickly ventured into other varieties of sewing projects and before I knew it I was making clothing, quilts (one and one time only!!!), and blankets. I am hoping to get my web page up and running soon so that I will be able to take custom orders as well as sell premade bags (and probably other items as well) online.

Bill was offered a job in October!!!! We had been praying and waiting since July. He was hired by a temporary company with the potential for permanent employment after the first of the year. It promised to be a great career move as long as he obtained a permanent position. The job would require an enormous amount of flexibility on behalf of all of us as he would have to travel quite a bit until the end of the year. Figuring that the travel part was only temporary he accepted the job and went to work. Shortly after he started, we found out that he would be away from home more than he would be home.

Bill began traveling to WA and CO for weeks at a time in November. He was home for Thanksgiving and then left for CO for three weeks. We didn't get to be together for our anniversary (five years) this year so we celebrated a bit early and went out to dinner a few days before Bill headed back to CO. Hopefully next year will be able to be together.

A few days before Christmas Bill flew from CO to CA on business where we joined him a few days later. It had been almost a month since we had seen each other. Due to all of our travel, December seemed to to go by even more quickly than normal (thus the reason you are reading this instead of a lovely card and letter). We, along with Bill's mom, were able to spend time with my family for Christmas. We were also able to spend some, much needed, time with some of our CA friends. However, we certainly could have used more time as there is never enough time to see everyone. The day after Christmas we made our way back to OR and Bill resumed work in here. If all goes well, Bill will be hired on permanently after this next training session. Hopefully we will know sometime next month.

Well, now that you are caught up on our 2007 we can continue keeping you up to date through 2008. Stay tuned for future updates right here on Thepancakehouse blog.